Pope Francis delivers his blessing during the Angelus noon prayer he celebrated from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, March 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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When President Obama heads to the Vatican tomorrow, he and the pope should have a lot to talk about. America's first black president is meeting the Catholic Church's first Latin American pope; both took their jobs amid crises; both have political minds and initially boasted widespread support, notes Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times. Obama's support, however, has flagged, while the pope's approval rating is at 85%—and it's not just because Obama's been at his job longer.

The pope has managed to "rebrand" Catholicism, but he's done it subtly. "He's called for more openness toward gay people, for example, but he hasn't proposed any formal changes in the rules," McManus notes. He's opted for reforms "likely to be broadly popular." Obama instead went straight for the challenging issue of health care reform. Meanwhile, the pope has been concerned about being seen as a superhero, something Obama knows a little about. The two men may be able to offer each other some guidance. After all, "even popes and presidents can't know how long their popularity will last." Click for McManus' full piece.

Obama shouldn't go to the vatican. He should tell the Catholic church to shove it until they start dealing with their criminals.

SJay

Mar 26, 2014 8:08 PM CDT

What I would say to the pope, " Repeal the Medieval Catholic doctrine of making priests and nuns swear an oath of chastity and that would be they key to ending most of that pedo mess. It defies human nature. And stop shitting in the woods.".

Arthur Machado

Mar 26, 2014 7:58 PM CDT

Tell him that life is precious at both ends. Tell him to stop abortions after 3 months gestation also tell him capital punishment is murder.